Representation is a crucial location of struggle for any exploited and oppressed people asserting subjectivity and decolonization of mind. Here comes December, a month that becomes very crucial in the lives of the Gambian people every five years.
People should learn that they are by the images of themselves, the representation that they seek. Every legitimate Gambian voter should realize we are about to make a decision that is going to determine how far our sovereignty can bring us a dignified life. Every Gambian should make sure our leaders reflect the people they are supposed to represent but that will beg the question, who are we? Are we the type who make our political leaders demi-gods? Are we the people who support a political party or group all because we can identify ourselves with them ethnically? Are we the people who vote for someone because he drops a few bags of rice and a little cash to our doorsteps? Or, are we the people who vote people into our public offices based on programs and policies they put before us?
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge and that has perpetuated into the choice of leaders we chose and that must stop if development is really what we all desire. Vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user, so I hope that every genuine voter this time around will vote thinking that is his/her vote is going to be responsible for bringing a good healthcare system, relevant education system, affordable and quality nutrition, security and a free hygienic political atmosphere rather than just changing leaders or governments.
Politics can be the art of using euphemisms, lies, emotionalism and fear-mongering to dupe average people into accepting or even demanding their own enslavement. When one with honeyed words but evil persuades the mob, great woes befall the start. So, it should be the responsibility of every citizen to help dialogue and educate friends and families on our collective issues and to understand personalities of the people we're entrusting and surrendering our powers to matters.
The issue of who gets to define the future, own the nation’s wealth, shapes the parameters of the social state, control all our resources, and create a formative culture for producing engaged and socially responsible citizens is no longer a rhetorical issue, but offers up new categories for defining how matters of representations, education, economic justice, and politics are to be defined and fought over. At stake here is the need for both a language of critique and possibility to take us through this election peacefully.
I definitely wish and pray that we vote this time around based on programs, policies and fact check the personality of every single individual seeking for our public offices because character matters.
#programs and policies matter.
#character matters.
By Ousman L Camara
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